MONDAY: WHO CAME BEFORE

Dec 12, 2022
2 min read

Matthew 1:1-17

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah] the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon,Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim,Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud, Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.

While genealogies can be boring to read, they tell a lot about a person. If the kings of Judah had extended through the exile, Joseph was in a direct line to become king. And Jesus, as His firstborn Son, would have inherited His earthly throne.

God had a different plan. He didn’t want Jesus to be an earthly King, but a heavenly King. The exile takes on a whole new meaning—God used the exile to interrupt the kingly line and still carry out His mission.

What started with the creation of a people through Abraham who God would call His own was completed and fulfilled by sending His Son to rule over them. What started as God choosing David, a man after God’s own heart, and making him a king was completed and fulfilled in sending His Son to create His eternal kingdom.

God, thank You for sending Jesus to earth to fulfill Your promises and rule over Your heavenly Kingdom. Thank You for creating Your heavenly Kingdom over which Jesus will rule for all eternity. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom! Amen.

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman